Closure guide



y 1935. J. RITTER, JR 2,001,157

CLOSURE GUIDE Fil ed June 21, 1-954 INYEXTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 14, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE GUIDE Julius Bitter, Jr., Racine, Wis, assignor to Hart'- mann Trunk Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 21, 1934, Serial: No. 721,680

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to: improvements in *closureguides, and more particularly to closure guides for the hinged cover of the wardrobe section of awardrobe trunk to insurecorrect closing of the cover with respect to the flexible wall portions of the wardrobe section and to provide alinementof the complementary dowel pins and sockets. I

.1 .In-wardrobe tI'UIIkSOfqthE better class, the

10* trunk body is dividedvertically medially into two,

sections whichiare hinged together and are adaptedto swing'horizontallyito.open position. One of these sections is, usually provided with drawers or if compartments, and the other, termed the ward hanger tracks uponlwhich garment hangers are slidably mounted. The; tracks areusually of the two-part, unfoldable, extensible type to permit the hangers to be slid outwardly'on the tracks while in mounted position. Garments are suspendedby andgfolded over the hangers, and in order to permit themto befreely removed from the wardrobe section, the upper end of said section is open and is provided with a cover which may be swung upwardly to open position. When the cover is jclosed, it serves tomaintain the hangers in position on the tracks within the upper end of the wardrobe section; and the garments on the hangers. Inthis event the exten sion ends of thetracks are folded inwardly, and lugs on the freeends thereof engage a latch plate depending from, the""forward edge of the cover. Also, when the cover is closed, it is contemplated that dowel pins depending from'side walls of the cover engage in" dowel sockets on the upper side wall portions of the wardrobe section. This is for. the purpose of maintaining the cover (in its closed position) in proper alinement with the engaging portions of the wardrobe section. Due to the fact that when the topcover of the wardrobe ,section is open, portions of the ,upper sidewalls of'said wardrobe section are not braced and are relatively flexible and, distortable, it has been found heretofore that it is difficult to close the top cover to its proper position of alinement with the upper end of the wardrobe section and to insure registration of the dowel pins with respectto the dowel sockets. Also, should the upper side walls of the wardrobe section be deflected out of proper. position, this may prevent proper latching engagement between the folded in ends of the .tracks'and the depending latch plate therefor.

It is,.theref0re, one of the objects of the pres- ,ent invention; to 1 provide closure guides for a wardrobe section top cover which will eliminate robe section, iskusually provided ,with'garment the before mentioned objections, by engaging the upper side wall portions of the wardrobe section, when the cover is closed, and forcing said wall portions, and parts carried thereby, into perfect alinement with corresponding portions of the cover.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a closure guide construction for ward: robe section top covers which, when the top cover is closed, will laterally brace and reenforce upper portions of the side walls of the wardrobe section.

Still another specific object of the invention to provide a closure guide construction of the character described which may be readily applied to the ordinary form of wardrobesection top cover without any modification thereof and which is verysimple and efficient in operation. v A further object of the invention is to provide a closure guide constructionfor-wardrobe trunk top covers which is very simple to manufacture and install, is strong and durable and inexpensive, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

These and otherobjectsand advantages will beapparent from the following detailed description. a a

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the mode of constructing and operation closure guides built in accordance therewith may be had by referring to'thedrawe ing accompanying and forming a part ;of this specification, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views. 1 I a Fig. 1 is'a perspective view of an'open wardrobe trunk wherein the wardrobe section top cover is provided with the improved closure guides; I

Fig. 2 is anenlarged, fragmentary view ofthe upper portions of the trunk sections open and the top cover closed, showing the relative positions of engagement of the closure guides;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, with the wardrobe section top cover in raised, open position; and

,Fig. 4 is an enlarged, perspective view of a closure guide; I

While the invention has been illustrated and described herein as being specifically applied to the top wardrobe section. cover of a two-section wardrobetrunk wherein garments are capable of being suspended vertically, it is not intended to limit the scope by such specific disclosure; and some of the novel features are obviously more generally applicable to cover-controlled housings of'various types.

' continuations of the track sections I6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will appear that the wardrobe trunk includes a wardrobe section 6 to which a drawer section 1 is hingedly connected. Said sections are adapted to swing horizontally with respect to each other to open and closed positions. The lower end of the wardrobe section is closed by a bottom end wall 3, with the result that the lower portions of the side walls 9 of the wardrobe section are braced and held against lateral deflection. The upper end of the wardrobe section 6 has, however, an open end which is closed by a hingedly mounted top cover Ill. Hence, when the top cover In is open, opposite, upper forward portions of the walls 9 are not braced and are subject to flexing or lateral deflection. The top cover It is formed with side flanges to engage upper edges of the rear and side portions of the wardrobe section. Also, the forward ends of the opposite side flanges carry depending dowel pins 2 adapted to engage in dowel sockets 3 carried by outer portions of the upper ends of the walls 9 when the cover I0 is closed with respect to the. wardrobe section.

Secured to inner faces of the upper side walls 9 of, the wardrobe section are plates M. Said plates have secured thereto the inner ends of brackets l5 which carry the inner sections |B of garment hanger tracks, in spaced relation. Extensible garment hanger track sections have their inner end portions hingedly connected to the forward ends of the track sections l6. Garment hangers l8 and 8 are slidably mounted on the garment hanger tracks and are adapted to have garments draped thereon. When the trunk sections are opened with respect to each other, the track sections may be moved from the illustrated positions to positions extending outwardly of the trunk section 6 and forming alined In this position, garment hangers may be slid outwardly of the section 6 on the extended track elements When the trunk is to be closed, the hangers are disposed on the track sections l6 within the wardrobe section 6, and then the track sections are folded to the positions shown. When the top cover HI is closed, lugs I9 on the outer ends of the track sections |1 engage in an apertured plate 2|! depending from the forward portion of the cover l0.

Due to the fact that when the top cover IU of the wardrobe section is open and portions of the side walls 9 of the wardrobe section are without lateral support, difficulty has been encountered portant when it is considered that the dowel pins I2 should enter the sockets l3 and the track lugs l9 should engage the plate 2!]. To meet this contingency and to insure proper closing of the top cover with respect to the wardrobe section walls, the present closure guides have been devised.

By particular reference to Fig. i of the drawing, it will be observed that an improved closure guide 2| comprises a metallic fixture having a plate portion 22 and an attaching flange 23 at right angles to said plate portion. Said plate portion is reduced away from the attaching flange, and its efiective edge has an elongated, relatively straight portion 24 merging into an inwardly curved portion 25 toward the extremity of the fixture.

A closure guide 2| is mounted on the inner face of the top cover I0 adjacent each front cover thereof and positioned so that when the cover is closed, each guide member 2| is in 2. depending position with its effective edge engaging the face of a plate l4. Attachment of a member 2| is effected by means of screws 26 passed thru apertures 21 in the flange 23 and secured into a base portion of the cover member.

Inasmuch as depending portions of the top cover H] overlap the upper edges of the wardrobe section side walls 9, the objectionable lateral deflection of said side wall portions is inwardly. In this event, and when the cover is moved toward closed position, said improved closure guides 2| come into play. As the cover is lowered into engagement with the side walls 9, the lower, curved edges 25 of the members 2| will first engage the inwardly deflected wall portions, riding, against the plates l4. Further closing movement of the cover will cause engagement between the plates and the edge portions 24 which will deflect said wall portions outwardly to their proper posi-' tions and insure registration of the complementary parts of the various fixtures, as well as proper seating of the cover. When the top cover is closed, said members 2| also act to laterally brace and reinforce the upper portions of the side walls 9. 1

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and operation herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In combination, a container having walls, opposite side portions of which are deflectible laterally when the container is fully opened, a cover hingedly connected to said container and swingable toward said wall side portions, and projecting guide members secured within said cover adjacent side portions thereof and cooperable, when the cover is moved toward closed position, with inner surfaces of said container wall portions to prevent and overcome inward deflection of said wall portions out of their normal planes.

2. In combination, a container having walls, opposite side portions of which are deflectible laterally when the container is fully opened, a cover hingedly connected to said container and swingable toward said wall side portions, and projecting guide members secured within said cover adjacent side portions thereof, said guides having curved edges adjacent said wall side portions to engage and ride on inner plane surfaces of said wall portions, when the cover is being moved toward closed position, to prevent and overcome inward lateral deflection of said wall portions out of their normal planes.

3. In combination, a container having walls, opposite side portions of which are deflectible laterally when the container is fully opened, a cover hingedly connected to said container and swingable toward said wall side portions, and a guide member secured to said cover adjacent an edge thereof and projecting away from the plane of said cover, said guide being tapered away from the cover and being adapted to slidingly engage inner surfacesof said wall portions, when the cover is being moved toward closed position to fiex inwardly deflected side wall portions outwardly into their normal plane.

4. In combination, a container having walls, opposite side portions of which are deflectible j v 2,001,157 laterally when the container is fully opened, a

cover hingedly connected to said container and swingable toward said side wall portions, projections carried by outer side portions of the cover, recessed members carried by outer portions of said side wall portions to receive said projections when the cover is closed, and guides mounted within the cover and spaced inwardly from said projections, said guides being cooperable with inner plane surfaces of said side wall portions to cause said projections to enter said recessed mem bers when the cover is closed.

5. In combination, a container having walls, opposite corner portions of which are deflectible laterally when the container is fully opened, a

cover hingedly connected to said container and swingable toward said wall corner portions, latches comprising recessed portions carried by said wall'corner portions and projections carried by the swinging end of the cover and adapted to be received by said recessed portions when the cover is closed, said latches being carried-by the outer sides of said container walls and of said cover, and guides mounted within said cover and spaced from said projections, said-guides being cooperable with inner plane surfaces of said wall corner portions to cause said projections to enter said recessed portions when the cover is closed.

6. In combination, a container having a wall, a corner portion of which is laterally deflectible when the container is fully opened, a cover hingedly connected to said container and having 10 a wall swingable toward said corner portion, a latch comprising a recessed portion carried exteriorly by one of said walls and a projection carried exteriorly by the other of said Walls and adapted to enter said recessed portion when the cover is closed, and a guide carried by said cover adjacent said latch and inwardly thereof, said guide having an inclined surface cooperable with a plane surface of said wall corner portion to positively cause said projection to enter said re- 20 cessed portion when the cover is closed.

JULIUS BITTER, JR. 

